Rotary blower



April 11, 1944.

s. P. ROSE ET AL ,346,236

ROTARY BLOWER I Filed March 28, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l 6 6' Jaimie/f? Base 65'' Bruce Somerrd/ 1N\ 'ENTORS.

April 1944- P. ROSE ETAL 2,346,236

ROTARY BLOWER Filed March 28, 1942 5 sheets sheet 2 64 4 DISCHARGE OUTLET 4 Q In Samae/ P Rose & 615N106 Somervd/ INVENTORS.

April 11, 1944.

s. P. ROSE ET-AL 2,346,236

ROTARY BLOWER Filed March 28, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Samz/e/ P. Rose 6. 6. Bruce SomerI/e/Z Patented Apr. 11, 1944 ROTARY BLOW ER,

Samuel P. Rose, Flushing, and Somervell Bruce Somervell, New- York, N. Y., assignor's of. seventy-five one-.hundredthsto said Rose, ten. one-hundredths to said: Somervell, ten onehundredths to Eugene L. Alexander, New York, N. Y., and five one-hundredths to Julius L, Goldenberg, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 28, 1942, Serial No. 436,552

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to fluid displacement devices andmore particularlyto an improved rotary bellows type blower.

A number of prior attempts have been made to provide rotary blowers based upon the positive displacement efiect of collapsible bellows units mounted between elements which rotate upon angularly inclined shafts such that the bellows-carrying units alternately approach and recede from each other during each revolution. A number of these prior devices have not proven commercially satisfactory for such reasons that.

the bellows weresubjectgd to unusualoperating conditions no provisions were made for their ready removal for repair or replacement, the porting and manifold arrangements were not efiicient or satisfactory, and for numerous other reasons. Thepresent invention relates to such bellows type rotary blowers inwhich an improved arrangement of the bellowsunit and their carrying elements as well as to an improved manifold; and other features are provided which eliminate substantially all of the previous objections and attain an improved result.

It is accordingly a major object of the present invention to provide an efiicient rotary blower comprising easily replaceable bellows units carried upon rotary elements which rotate on inclined or oblique axes, It is. av further object of the present-invention to provide such a blower in which the bellows are subjected only to the expanding and collapsing forces necessaryfor their suction and compression of-theair orv gases and in which the rotor elements are driven. one from the other;by means of avuniversal joint.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a rotary displacement device in which the bellows. units discharge radially-outwardly into an arcuate manifold whichencloses the bellows units through an arcuate angle approximating a semi-circle. Another object resides in the provision of a novel mounting arrangement for such. a manifold: in which it is supported peripherally; upon a plurality of hy: draulicall'y actuated pin orplunger supports which each urge the manifold radially inwardly with equal pressures towardtherotating bellows units to compensate for wear and forfitting and adjusting purposes.

Other objects andadvantages of the present invention will become apparent to those-skilled in the art after a reading of thepresent-description and the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which;

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a preferred form of our rotarybellowsdevice;

Fig.- 2 is anelevational-viewof the said rotary bellows device;

Fig-a Bis a sectional view ofa bellows port. unit and support taken alongthe lines. IIIIII of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of. one of the bellows-units;

Fig. 5 is a side-elevational:view of. the spider, element to which the port units-lofFi'g. 4 are at: tached to form a fi-at disc rotor;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view indicating the operating cycleof the present device; and:

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional viewlofz the master cylinder of the hydraulic pressure system;

Referring now to Fig. 1 a: fiat disc rotor lzlLis fixedly mounted upon the horizontal drive shaft lZin opposed relationship to ther-ipart-conic, disc rotor ii similarly mountedbyl a suitable key. or feather upon theinclinedor obliqueshaft; l3. The drive shaft I 2 is horizontallysupportedwithv in the blower device and. is driven from any suitable power source about the axisv A- -B. The inner end of: the shaft I2; is. keyed'to an ele? ment of the universal joint 14; and. the other element of the universal joint is..simi1arly; keyed to the inner end ofthe inclined: driven shaft I3; The universal joint I4, which is indicated die: grammatically, is preferably of;- the constant velocity type inwhich the vshafts Hand. l3; are rotatably interconnected-in precise synchronism throughout each complete revolution without. the whip or asynchronous conditiondeveloped-in the dead-center position incertain types of uni: versals. The-latter type of universal imparts a twisting effect upon-the bellowsunitsdue to the whipping condition referred to and has an undesirable efiect upon the life and wear of the bellows.

The rotary device-is supported and contained within the two uprightframe or supportpme nbers I 5 and lfi. Each frame. comprises essentially a vertically tapering member converging toward each other at the top of: the device; and havin centrally located hub .portionsfo-rming the, 30.1111- nals E1 and I8 for theshafts I2 and l3, resplecs tively. The frames l5.-land [Snare eachiproyided with outwardly tapering. arm portions extending from their respectivehubportions and-"converging laterally-at the sideof the device. In order to take up -the outwardthrustzexerted by the compression between the rotors lllpand ll there are provided thrust type an'ti-irictionbearings l9 and-20 which in turn bean outwardlypagainstflthe hubs of the supports l5 and I6 respectively. The inclined driven shaft |3 rotates about the oblique axis 00, the point being the center of the universal joint l4 at the intersection of the oblique axis and the'horizontal axis A-B.

Referring to both Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the support l5, referred to as providing the journal I! for the horizontal shaft I2, is a vertically tapering pedestal frame with suitable stiffening ribs |5r, having a flanged base l5b. This frame I5 extends upwardly and outwardly from its base, where it is anchored to a suitable foundation 22 by means of the bolts 23, to its central hub or journal portion H from which it has an arm portion extending laterally and inwardly toward the intermediate or side pressure unit 31 to be more fully described below. The frame I5 also continues upwardly and inwardly in a tapering arm portion which terminates adjacent the upper pressure unit 36. The opposite frame support I6 is generally similar to Hi except that it has an arcuate lower portion |6a to accommodate the distended bellows at the bottom of the rotative cycle and extends vertically to its hub portion l8 which provides an inclined journal, at a somewhat higher position than the journal H, for the accommodation of the oblique shaft l3. From the hub IS the frame 16 has similar vertically and laterally extending arms which terminate adjacent the corresponding arms of frame Hi to receive the pressure units 35 and 31 respectively.

Each of the rotors or bellows-carrying units It] and H is constructed in the form of spiders having oppositely curved inner portions to provide clearance for the universal joint M, and radially extending outer arms defining flat and conic disc surfaces respectively. The flat rotor disclll is shown in Fig. 5 and a description of its construction will also suffice for the rotor H which differs only in that its faces are part-conic and also with respect to its bellows attachment details. As shown in Fig. 5 the rotor ID has an outwardly dished inner portion from which extend radially outwardly, in a plane perpendicular to-thc axis of the shaft I2, a plurality of spider arms 21. These arms are cross-shaped in section and provide flanges 3|a and ribs 3| which are suitably apertured as at so to accommodate the bolts 29 for fastening the flanges 3| of the bellows attachment units 24 thereto.

The bellows units 25 are preferably formed of rubber, of synthetic rubber, or similar flexible materials being of an accordion or pleated construction to permit rapid extension and contraction and to withstand rapid and continuous flexing with a minimum of fatigue and wear. The bellows units are preferably segmentally shaped bolted to corresponding flanged ribs 23 of the conic spider L It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the radial lines extending inwardly from the flat plates (of which ten are shown in the preferred embodiment), intersect the oblique axis 00 at a point, slightly displaced from center 0, and which point is the apex of the frusto-conical spider portion 28 and also the apex of the frustrum of the polygonal pyramid formed by the ten flat attachment plates25, which in effect form a rotor assembly which is herein referred to as part-conical.

Between the side supports l5 and I5 and the periphery of the flat disc rotor l9 there is disposed the manifold 2|. This manifold is semicircular or C-shaped in side elevation and extends from the lower side of the rotor l3 where the rotors are spaced at their maximum around the side adjacent the side pressure unit 31 and terminates at the top where the rotors are most closely spaced in the region of the top pressure unit 35. The manifold 2| has an arcuate portion of minimum radial depth at the bottom closely spaced from the ports 34 of the lower bellows unit and gradually increases in radial depth as it extends around the rotor H! in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. The crosssectional appearance of the manifold is generally C-shaped with its open slot portion 35 alined with and closely spaced from the ports 34 of the bellows units 24 as more clearly seen in Fig. 1. The manifold 2| increases to its maximum crosssectional area in the region of its outwardly extending discharge outlet 2|a which is shown flanged in Fig. 2, but may be of any suitable screwed or other type for connection to the piping or duct system. The manifold is maintained in its proper relationship by the fluid-actuated piston pins 4|, carried by the hydraulic pressure units 36, 31 and 38, which pistons engage radially disposed cylindrical bores Zla, 2|b and M0 located in the outer periphery of the manifold the axes of the upper and lower piston pins 4| are alined vertically preferably in the plane passing through the centers of the port 35 in the manifold and the ports 34 of the upper and lower bellows port units 24. The axis of the side pin 4| in the pressure unit 31 also preferably lies in the same vertical plane at the elevation of the axis A-B in cross-section with radial sides and arcuate peripheries to permit bonding by vulcanizing, cementing or other suitable means for fastening their end faces to the ported attachment unit 24 and-to the flat segmental attachment plate 25. The ported attachment units 24 are more clearly shown in the perspective view in Fig. 4 and comprise mainly a radially flanged chamber portion having a radially outwardly facing port 34 and a lateral opening 33 open to the interior of the bellows. The side flanges 3| and the inner edge are suitablydrilled as at 32 to aline with the matching holes 30 of the spider arms 21 for their attachment by the bolts 29. The opposite end of each bellows 26 is bonded to a flat plate 25 which is similarly drilled and shaped as the opposed ported plate 24, the flat plate 25 being and perpendicular to the vertical axis passing through the upper and lower pins 4|.

The hydraulic pressure units 36, 31 and 38 are each substantially identical and a description of the upper unit 36 as shown in section in Fig. 1 is considered will be suflicient for an understanding of the others. The upper unit 36 comprises a body having an internal fluid chamber 39 in which is disposed an elastic diaphragm or seal 40 embracing the piston 4| and having an outwardly extending flange which is retained within the body 36 by means of the packing lock nut 42. The diaphragm 40 is preferably formed of an elastic synthetic rubber compound such as known by the trade names of Thiokol or Neoprene and the like which are not adversely affected by contact and use with the hydraulic fluid such as the oils which are commonly used in brake and other hydraulic pressure systems and with which oil the system is filled and operated. It will be noted that the pressure units 36, 31 and 38 are each attached directly to the support frame members l5 and I6 by the bolts or attachment screws 43 and. that the manifold 2| is supported solely in an inwardly spaced relationship from the encircling frame and pressure units by the pistons 4| engaging the cylindrical holes 2| b, Zlc and 2|d on which pistons it is fioatingly supported by the pressure exerted by the hydraulic fluid.

The fluid chambers 39 of each of the pressure units are in communication by means of the short pipes 44 and the elbow 45 and Ts 4% with a fluid feed pipe 4: interconnected by the Y-branch or lateral fitting 63 with the main feed pipe 48 which communicates with the master pressure unit 49 as shown in Fig, 2. The T-fitting 46 adjacent the upper pressure unit 36 is in communication with the capped filling reservoir 64 preferably disposed at the highest point in the fluid system. The master pressure unit 49 is shown in detail in the cross-sectional view in Fig. 7, and comprises a fluid chamber 5! in which is disposed a flexible diaphragm 52 embracing the piston 53 attached at 5! to the inner end of the threaded stem 54 threadedly rotatable within the bonnet element 55. This bonnet in turn is screw-threaded into the body 49 and serves to retain the flanged portion of the diaphragm 52 beneath the ring washer 58. A handle 56 is attached to the upper end of the stem 54 for manual operation and it will be seen that rotation of the stem results in increase or decrease in the fluid pressure within the system to adjust the clearance between the inner periphery of the manifold 2i and the outer periphery of the rotating elements. The body of the pressure unit 49 is preferably flanged and drilled as at B! for fastening by means of the attachment screws 62 to a suitable supporting bracket 50. The pipe 48 is in communication with the fluid chamber 5| and is preferably attached to the lock nut 59 and sealed by the packing 6d.

The rotary blower device is operated as follows, after it is suitably mounted as by the foundation bolts 23 upon a suitable concrete or other base 22 and a motor or other suitable power source is coupled to the shaft I2 for the rotation indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. As viewed in Figs. 2 and 6 this rotation is counterclockwise, the ports 35 of the port units 24 are open to the atmosphere on the left side of the machine for somewhat less than 180 or almost half of the rotative cycle from the uppermost position where these units emerge from the manifold 21 down to the bottom where they are sealed for a short period by the blanked portion of the manifold at the bottom of the device adjacent the bottom pressure unit 38.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that as the porting units 24 emerge from the manifold 25 at the top the bellows units 26 to which they communicate have just been completely collapsed and have discharged the remainder of their contents of air or fluid since this is the point in the rotative cycle at which the flat disc rotor l3 and the conic disc I I approach each other to the closest extent. As each bellows unit is rotated from the top to its lower sealed position the discs i9 and I l progressively recede from each other, pulling the ends of the bellows apart after the fashion of an accordion and air is sucked into the exposed ports 34. This part of the cycle is accordingly the suction stage and by the time the port 3d enters the closely adjacent sealing portion of the manifold 21 at the bottom the bellows unit has been filled to its extended or maximum capacity by the air sucked in during the preceding 140 to 145 degrees of the suction cycle. As the leading portion of the port 34 passes beyond the sealing position of the manifold the discs It and H start again to approach each other and compression taking place within the contracting bellows causes discharge to start into the lower portion of the manifold interior. As the bellows unit continues upwardly past the horizontal center-line of the device discharge takes place progressively into the increasing cross-section of the manifold, this discharge being assisted by the centrifugal effect imposed upon the mass of air within the bellows due to its speed of rotation. The air which is discharged flows along in the direction of the short arrows with a minimum of turbulence and pressure loss due to the progressively increased cross-sectional area of the manifold, as a result of the inertia imparted by the rotation of the bellows units and aided by the relatively great length of the ports 34 in the rotative discharge plane as compared to their width in the axial direction. This air is accordingly discharged under pressure through the outlet 2la beyond which compression within the bellows gradually ceases and changes slightly beyond the top dead center whereupon suction is again initiated at the start of the ensuing cycle. It will accordingly be seen that relatively gradual and progressive suction and discharge stages are afforded the bellows units eliminating any sudden filling or emptying which would have a detrimental effect upon the fatigue and life of the bellows material. This arrangement further provides a smooth and uniform discharge free from periodic blasts or pulsations. Obviously when other than free or ambient air is handled by the device a suitable suction manifold, to which the fluid would be suitably piped or fed, could be utilized. Under certain conditions where it might be desirable to convert the kinetic energy of the flowing mass of air into pressure a suitable series of diffusing vanes can be provided within the discharge manifold in a manner well known in the art. Such an arrangement would be utilized in charge-forming or in the induction systems of internal combustion engine installations where the supercharger is interposed between the carburetor and the engine.

In order to maintain the abutting face of the manifold adjacent its port 35 closely spaced from the corresponding faces of the inlet and discharge ports 34 and to compensate for the wear of these faces, the entire manifold is adjustably or floatingly supported at three points by the hydraulicactuated piston pins 4! which bear radially inwardly against the manifold. As wear, or the need for adjustment occurs, rotation of the pressure control screw 54 produces increased pressure Within the chamber 5i of the master pressure cylinder 49. This pressure is transmitted equally to each of the pressure units 36, 37 and 38 through the conduits 47 and 48 and. the branch pipes 44 from the fittings 45 and 46 into the fluid chambers 39 of the pressure units. Since the areas of the pistons 4| and their contacting flexible diaphragms are identical the pressure is maintained and exerted equally in the axial directions of each of the three radially directed pistons. The hydraulic fluid within the system is replenished or filled on release of the control screw 54 by pouring into the capped reservoir 64. A suitable pressure gauge (not shown) can be provided to indicate the pressure within the cylinder at all times. The manifold 2| and the bellows port units are preferably made of the same material, or materials of the desired characteristics such that they will both wear uniformly.

The arrangement of th present device is such that the replacement of any individual bellows is greatly facilitated. It is merely necessary to rotate the moving assembly until the particular bellows is moved outside the supporting frame away from the manifold, preferably in the region of the start of the suction cycle. The attachment bolts 29 are then removed freeing the bellows supporting plates 24 and 25 from their respective spider arms 21 and 28 of the rotors ID and H. The bellows 26 may then be collapsed slightly and removed radially outwardly. This procedure is reversed in installing the new bellows unit.

Other modifications of the present invention, for which a preferred form has been shown and described for illustrative purposes only, whether as to general arrangement or specific details, are each intended to come within the scope and spirit of the invention as more particularly defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a fluid displacement device comprising, a flat rotor, a part-conic rotor, a frame rotatably supporting said rotors for rotation on oblique axes, bellows opposedly attached to said rotors and a manifold adjustably supported between said frame and one of said rotors adapted to conduct fluid displaced from said bellows of hydraulic means supported from said frame adapted to provide said adjustable support for said manifold with respect to one of said rotors.

2. The combination with a fluid displacement device, comprising a transverse flat faced rotor, a part-conic faced rotor, bellows units attached to the opposed faces of said rotors, means for rotating said rotors on oblique axes, porting means communicating with each said bellows and a manifold contiguous to said porting means for receiving fluid displaced by said bellows units of hydraulic means carried by said fixed means movable with respect to one of said axes for the adjustable support of said manifold with respect to said porting means.

3. In a fluid displacement device of the type provided with bellows units carried between rotors having obliquely disposed axes, a manifold having an arcuate inlet closely spaced from the periphery of said bellows units and hydraulic pressure means adapted for the adjustment of said spacing between said bellows units and said manifold inlet.

4. The combination with a fluid displacement device of the type provided with bellows units carried between rotors having obliquely disposed axes, a frame embracing said rotors and bellows units adapted for their rotatable support, and a manifold adjustably supported from said frame adapted to receive fluid displaced from said bellows units of hydraulic means supported by said frame movable with respect to one of said rotors adapted to provide the said adjustable support for said manifold with respect to said bellows units.

5. In a fluid displacement device of the type provided with a plurality of bellows units detachably carried between opposed elements rotatable upon oblique axes, a frame embracing said bellows units and elements, journals in said frame for the rotatable support of said rotatable elements, each said bellows unit provided with radially outwardly directed ports and manifold means inwardly supported from said frame to receive the radially outwardly displaced fluid in the plane of said outwardly directed ports.

6. In a fluid displacement device of the type ably carried between opposed elements rotatable upon obliquely disposed axes, a frame having journals for the rotatable support of said rotatable elements, one of said elements having attachment portions lying in a plane normal to its axis of rotation, porting means communicating with each said bellows unit detachably carried upon each said attachment portion and a manifold having an arcuate port contiguous to said porting means for receiving fluid displaced from said rotating bellows units.

7. In a fluid displacement device, a rotor having attachment portions lying in a plane normal to its axis of rotation, a second rotor rotatable on an axis intersecting said first axis having attachment portions inclined to its axis of rotation, a plurality of ported bellows units having their ends attached to the opposed attachment portions of each said rotor, a frame having bearing means for the rotational support of said rotors upon their respective oblique axes, means for rotating said rotors whereby each said bellows unit is compressed and extended during each revolution, and peripherally disposed manifold means contiguous to each said bellows port during substantially all of its compressive cycle.

8. In a fluid displacement device, a rotor having attachment portions lying in a plane normal to its axis of rotation, a second rotor rotatable on an axis intersecting said first axis having attachment portions inclined to its axis of rotation,

,a plurality of bellows units having their ends attached to the opposed attachment portions of each said rotor, a frame having bearing means for the rotational support of said rotors upon their respective obliquely disposed axes, porting units carried upon said first rotor in communication with each said bellows unit, and a discharge manifold contiguous to said porting units having its inlet lying in a plane normal to the axis of rotation of said first rotor.

9. In a device of the type described, a transverse disc rotor, a part-conic rotor, a frame for the journalling support of said rotors on oblique intersecting axes, individual compression units carried upon the alternately approaching and receding faces of said rotors, an arcuate manifold peripherally disposed adjacent said compression units during their approaching portion of the rotative cycle and a plurality of hydraulic piston units supported upon said frame adapted to urge said manifold toward the periphery of said transversely rotating disc rotor.

10. In a device of the type described, a transverse disc rotor, a part-conic rotor, a frame for the journalling support of said rotors on oblique intersecting axes, individual compression units carried upon the alternately approaching and receding faces of said rotors, an arcuate manifold peripherally disposed adjacent said compression units during their approaching portion of the rotative cycle, a plurality of hydraulic piston units supported upon said frame adapted to urge said manifold toward the periphery of said transversely rotating disc rotor, and a manually adjustable master cylinder communicating with each saidhydraulic piston unit for the transmission of equal control pressures to each said hydraulic unit.

11. In a fluid displacement device of the type provided with a plurality of bellows units detachably carried between opposed elements rotatable upon oblique axes, a frame embracing said bellows units and elements, journals in said frame forthe rotatable support of said rotatable elements, each said bellows unit provided with radially outwardly directed ports and arcuate manifold means inwardly supported from said frame to receive the radially outwardly displaced fluid in the plane of said outwardly directed ports, said arcuate manifold means being circumferentially interrupted to permit intake of fluid into said outwardly directed bellows ports.

12. In a fluid displacement device of the type 10 provided with a plurality of bellows units detachably carried between opposed elements rotatable upon oblique axes, a frame embracing said bel- 

